BHUBANESWAR: The Covid-19 vaccination drive kicked off in the city on Saturday at six session sites where 600 people are getting inoculated with the first dose of Covaxin.
The drive was rolled out at the session site in Capital Hospital and was simultaneously launched at Unit-IV Urban Community Health Centre, Municipal Corporation Hospital at Old Town, AIIMS, KIIMS, and SUM.
Healthcare workers, mostly from DMET and Ayush, along with employees of Integrated Child Development Services and BMC sanitation wing were vaccinated on a priority basis.
Municipal Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary said around 100 registered frontline workers were administered the vaccine doses by 12 noon.
“Around 21,500 frontline workers of state government along with 5,000 central government staff will be vaccinated in the first phase. We, however, have received doses for 9,000 persons initially which we are planning to complete within a week,” Chaudhary said and added that more session sites will be set up
to expedite the drive.
The civic body and health officials installed banners and posters at the session sites to raise awareness that vaccination is safe and effective in containing the spread of novel coronavirus.
Those administered with the vaccine said it has created a sense of security among them and they now feel protected from the virus.
“There was no side effect of the virus on me, rather I feel protected after getting its first dose. As many people have lost their lives after contracting the virus, everyone, especially those on the frontline in fighting the pandemic, should join the vaccination drive without any delay,” said additional director of medical education and training Umakant Satpathy after getting the first dose of the vaccine at Unit-IV UCHC.
“People must not believe in the rumors. When our scientists have dedicated their lives to develop this vaccine, it is very much obvious that it will help mankind,” said Upagupt Mohanty, another DMET official after his inoculation.
Observation rooms have been set up at each site to appropriately manage the situation if anyone faces any problem after vaccination, said a public health official at the Unit-IV UCHC and added that no side effect of the vaccine has been reported by any of the beneficiaries so far.